Monday, April 30, 2012

Greek-Style Quinoa Burgers

So, you're probably thinking... when did this become a recipe blog?? HA! Well, that was never my intention but since prepping my food each week has become such a large part of my weight loss success, I figure I might as well share what I'm eating!

With that said, in the coming weeks I will be blogging less food and more LIFE so get ready for the ride! ;)

First, I want to share a recipe I've been sitting on for 2 years now! The date stamp on the bottom of the page says I printed it on 4/19/10. It's from Whole Living aka Martha Stewart and is now a family favorite. Yes, family!! I'm always seeking out new recipes to feed this crowd and this one is sure to be repeated! My 1 year old completely devoured her entire burger and the 3 year old turned up his nose at first and then happily dug in. Amazing!

The best part about these is that you can prepare (and not cook) them up to a day in advance and then cover and refrigerate until you're ready to eat them.

Photo credits to Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

Greek-Style Quinoa Burgers

Serves 4

1/2 cup rinsed quinoa

1 medium carrot, cut in large chunks

6 scallions, thinly sliced

15 oz great northern beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon ground cumin

coarse salt

black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

4 pitas (6 inches each)

1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced diagonally

In a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cup water to a boil: add quinoa, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is absorbed about 12 to 14 minutes. Set aside

In a food processor (You will definitely need a 7+ cup processor for this recipe), pulse carrot until finely chopped. Add quinoa, half the scallions, beans, breadcrumbs, egg, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Pulse until combined but still chunky.

Form mixture into 4, 3/4-inch-thick patties. If too soft, refrigerate 10 minutes to firm. In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook burgers until browned and cooked through about 8 minutes per side.

In a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice and the remaining scallion; season with salt and pepper. Serve burgers in pita topped with cucumber and yogurt sauce.